Handle for lifting and other uses.



W. GENES HANDLE FOR LIFTING AND OTHER USES.

Patented May28,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET L APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1917- W. GFHES.

HANDLE FOR LIFTING AND OTHER USES.

APPLICA'HON HLED )ULY 26, 191

Patented May 28, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 m? my- WWW YQ Q N mm INVENTOR MLL/fl/YL G1? I 6 WITNESS 1 I I r a WILLIAM GRIES, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

HANDLE FOR LIFTING AND OTHER USES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1918.

Application filed July 26, 1917. Serial No. 182,925.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GRIES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county Of'ESSGX and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Handles for Lifting and other Uses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved handle for lifting and other uses, of a character embodying in its organization a gripping clamp or vise to facilitate its application to the object to be lifted or otherwise manipulated.

To this end, the invention contemplates a tool whichinvolves a novel form of clamp- I having a suitable handle or shank for manipulating the same, and which clamp, is so constructed as to enable the operator to ob tain a firm and positive grip on the object to be lifted, turned, or otherwise operated M upon. 'In this connection it is proposed to providea tool which'issusceptible of being usedeither singly or inpairs, or according to the character of the Work tobe performed. Thus, this feature of the invention renders the same especially adaptable for use in turning drills oro'ther tapered tools in their sockets, or when used in pairs may readily constitute an insulated lifting handle of special utility for lifting the cells from storage batteries of the type generally employed on automobiles. The construction of the invention which permits of the latter function is especially important since considerable difiiculty is usually experienced in removing the batteries because, as a general rule, the only available gripping portions thereof are the electrodes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tool which is easily manufactured, and readily assembled,'and which has rela tively few working parts, thus facilitating its manipulation and application to the various objects on which it is used.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood,

the same consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed. p

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view of a lifting handle em- Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing more clearly the plan of the clamp which grips the object to be operated upon.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the side of the device on which the clamping screw is located.

Fig. 4c is an elevation of'the' opposite side of the device shown in Fig. 3.

F ig. 5 is a view illustrating the single use ofv the device in connection with a hand grip which may be inserted'through the shank. i

Fig. 6 is aview showing a modification ofthe device wherein the handle shank is disposed substantially parallel with the horizontal axis of the clamp instead of at right angles thereto as in the other figures, whereby the entire device is more readily adapted for turning purposes.

Fig. 7 is atop plan view of the construction'shown in Fig. 6. I j

Similar references designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. p v

Since the preferred and important application of the present invention is in its use as a lifting handle for storagebattery cells, reference will be first made to that embodiment of the invention designed especially for that purpose. This embodiment is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and includes generally a pair of the gripping'clamps or Vises designated by the reference letter A, a shank: member B, foreach'clamzp or vise, and an insulating handle bar H, extending between and engaging the opposite shank members B. ,p I

Referring now to the detail structural features of each gripping clamp or vise A, it will be observed that the same includes in its organization 'a suitable frame which preferably consists of a pair of spaced supports or guide bolts 1 and 2 which have loosely mounted thereon a relatively fixed gripping jaw 3, and also arelatively fixed clamping bar 4. The said gripping jaw 3 is preferably held on the guide bolts 1 and 2 by means of a semi-spherical washer element 5 and the nuts 6 which constitute a rigid abutment for the said lined jaw l e ber whereby the same may be maintained n a relatively stationary position when i in use. However, for the purpose of mounting this jaw so that it may readily grip either parallel or inclined surfaces it is proposed to provide the openings thereof which receive the guide bolts 1 and 2 of flaring form. 'lhat is to say, it is proposed to make the openings i of the relatively fixed gripping jaw greater in heig t as they approach the inner face of the jaw, and for the purpose of facilitating the adaptation of this yaw to the surface whichit grips the small or outer end of the tapered opening 7 is formed into a soclret 8 for receiving a semi-spherical washer element 6. Thus the rear face of this 3' aw 3 abuts against the fixed nuts and washers 5 and 6, while the opposite face thereof is adapted to grip the object to be operated upon, and in order to enhance the grippmg action thereof the said inner face of the jaw is preferably formed with a centrally located, serrated object gri iiping groove 9 clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

On the guide bolts 1 and 2 between the relatively fixed gripping jaw 3 and the c amping bar a which engages with the heads of the said guide bolts, there is arranged an adjustable gripping jaw 10 having tapering openings 11 similar to the openings. 7 for receiving the said guide bolts, and also having integral therewith a shank member 12. This shank member in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to. 5' inclusive is preferably arranged at right angles to the axis of the bolts 1 and 2, but as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings it may be disposed substantially pan allel with the axis of the bolts, sothat when the device is employed in a twisting or turn mg operation the power may be more eflectively applied. Furthermore, this shank which is formed integral with the movable gripping jaw 10 is preferably provided at its upper free end with a suitable handle receiving opening ,13 for receiving the suitable wooden handle or hand-grip l'l previously mentioned.

Referring further to the movable gripping jaw 10 it will be observed that the inner face thereof is provided with a centrally located serrated groove 1a which forms a complement to the groove 9 in the fixed 3' aw 3, and the rear face of this movable jaw is engaged by the ball end 15 of a clamping screw 16 which is threaded through a centrally located opening 1? in the fined clamping bar l. For convenience in operating the screw 16 the head thereof is preferably of winged or butterfly formation as indicated at 18, and the inward manipulation of this screw in the bar will cause the movable gripping jaw 10 to advance toward the fixed gripping ]aw 3 to securely clamp and grip the obgect to be lirted or turned. A reverse manipulation of the screw Wlll, of course, release the movable gripping yaw from gripping engagement and permit the clamp to be removed from the object.

From the foregoing description of the clamp it will be apparent that the gripping jaws thereof are so mounted that they have soflicient movement to clamp or grip either parallel, inclined or conical surfaces, and

the simple act of, manipulating the clamping screw will cause the movable jaw to move toward the fixed jaw to thereby sheet the,

desired gripping action. Then the entire clamp may be readily manipulated through the shank 12 either alone or in connection with a suitable handle or hand-grip.

As shown in Fig. l of the drawings. a pair of gripping devices may be utilized to.pro vide a lifting handle for engaging the electrodes of storage battery cells to facilitate the lifting thereof from their fixed location in the automobile, and also theirtransportation. In this instance the handle receiving openings 13 at the end of each shankl2 receive the opposite ends of the handle or hand-grip H which may be prevented from slipping out of the openings by means of suitable cotter pins C or their equivalent, thus providing in efiect a lifting handle whose lower ends are rigidly clamped to the battery electrodes while the upper portion thereof afiords a convenient hand-grip.

@ccasions may arise when it is convenient to utilize only a single clamp in connection with a lifting or gripping handle as sug. gested in Fig. 5 of the drawings. In this in stance the handle fl is merely centered in the opening 13 of the shank 12 and the tool is ready for sustaining a lifting stress or or at least one of the members thereof is provided with a rigid or integral shank member disposed substantially parallel-with the axis or L116. bolts 1 and 2 and ofiset from the clamp or vise in a convenient manner to constitute a handle which may be grasped by the operator in the manipulation thereof.

'Without further description it is thought that the many features andadvantages of the invention, will be readily apparent, and it will of course be understood that minor changes in the form, proportion and other details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

I claim l. A device of the class described comprising a pair of guide bolts, a fixed clamping jaw located at one end of the bolts and having an engaging surface, a bar on the opposite ends of said bolts, a movable clamping jaw slidably mounted on the latter between the fixed clamping jaw and bar, said movable clamping jaw having engaging means and a manipulating handle extending therefrom, and an operating screw mounted in the fixed bar and adapted to engage the said movable clamping jaw.

2. A handle of the class described including a clamp frame including a pair of guide bolts having integral heads at one end and Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner nuts and bearing washers at the other, a fixed gripping jaw having a rookable bearing engagement with the Washers on said bolts, a clamping bar having a rigid engagement with the heads of said bolts, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the bolts between the bar and fixed jaw and having a handle shank, said movable jaw also having a rockable engagement with the guide bolts, and a clamping screw carried by the said bar and adapted to force the movable gripping jaw toward said fixed jaw.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM GRIES.

Witnesses:

HARRY SCHWEIGERT, C. M. WRIGHT.

of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

